This hearing tomorrow, (Tuesday 2014/09/16) is a general hearing about the social studies textbooks that are up for adoption. Right now, there is a window where publishers can make changes to books prior to the final adoption/rejection that happens at the November SBOE meeting. For this hearing, it’s best as a strategy to first try to get changes made by publishers.
Even mainstream publishers have included changes which present a right-wing conservative Christian bias and even promote 19th century southern white racism. Much of it qualifies as propaganda. They not only promote Christianity and denigrate other religions, but they also portray certain stories in the Bible as if they were actual historic events. Read this article in the Washington Post for details.
Some of these changes in the textbooks also treat climate change as ‘questionable’. Yes, the Social Studies textbooks are now tools of climate science denial. You can read about that in the National Journal.
Depending on what gets corrected or does not, the secondary push later is for adoption/rejection of publications. No, the board cannot just start the whole process over. They’ve been working on this process for for almost 2 years. So they would never abandon the total effort because they will not believe it warrants that.
If you’re able to testify with us tomorrow, bear all of this in mind. You’ll only have two minutes to make your case.
Orwell haz a sad.
🙁
So how did it go? Will the ratbaggery be taught in the schools or were you able to stop it?
There is a final hearing in November, and we will attend that one to. This hearing was to persuade publishers to do the right thing. People can bypass the school board and petition the publishers directly until then.